Numerous types of fluid filtration systems, such as for home water filtration, are commercially available. Traditionally, beds of loose carbon particles were used for removing metals and/or organic materials from water. Composite blocks can be made from combinations of sorbent materials, such as adsorbent activated carbon, and polymeric binders, such as polyethylene, that have been sintered together under conditions of heat and pressure and are useful in water filter technology. Carbon block technology, for example, provides comparable functionality to loose bed carbon particles without the particle shedding or taking up too much space. With carbon block technology, pressure drop across the block can increase as a result of increasing quantities of sorptive materials such as activated carbon. Moreover, exposure of carbon blocks to heat and pressure can limit the types of materials available for use in the blocks. For example, carbon block technology is generally precluded from using materials that are sensitive to thermal degradation, such as ion exchange resins.
There is an ongoing need to provide compact water filtration systems for home use. There is also a need to provide systems that have high loadings of active material without increasing pressure drop across the system. It would be further desirable to minimize degradation to filter media during processing. In addition, there is a continuing need to provide systems having improved service life.